Yes, you can use it without being a d*ck.
I’m using the popular definition of ego which is your sense of self-importance and generally it skews negative. For example, if you talk about Elon Musk’s ego you aren’t paying him a compliment.
Ego is Freud’s term to describe the human psyche. Originally it was Ich or I in German, and its the central piece of a three part definition. Ego sits in the middle describing how you behave while you’re tugged on one side by your primitive psyche and it’s base instincts (that’s your id) and on the other side by civilized societal constructs (that’s your superego).
I hope I didn’t muck up that definition - my mom talked about how Freud was her neighbor when she was growing up, so I did look it up.
Back to your ego - it’s a good thing. When I was a kid I carefully wrote this on the back of the mirror in my bathroom:
I have a destiny
Every visit back home I’d check if my mantra still lived and until we repainted for renters, there it stayed, memorialized on the back of the mirror. My personal stone of destiny.
Id/Ego/Superego, whatever - we all have a drive that carries us through life. I talk more about this and how to balance it against your other needs in Passion won’t pay the rent.
Heard the term FU money? Build up a life position so you have the confidence to take the fork in the road, embrace risk, make a move. Take that FU position, nurture your ego and keep taking forks in the road until you find your way.
(Don’t gamble btw, not my point)
Tech is full of egos and I’ve rubbed elbows with more than a few. They all have that big head, and while some are pricks, they are not so different than revered titans of industry like Edison, Ford, Rockefeller.
When I left Microsoft three years ago I was a Director which meant the people working for me had people working for them. Not only that, but I had a worldwide team, I was working on our hottest product and all our biggest customers were under my watch. I was all kinds of important. Have I told you how important I was? Soooo important!!
Somehow my ego survived the jump to owner of Wirepine, writer of TechTales. Honestly, it took some forks in the road to get here. In retrospect I should have realized leaving Microsoft was a change bigger than just the word retirement. But I was determined to leave at the top of my game - that game at least. New game.
Pay attention to your ego so it keeps pace with you. If you crave power, being on the inside, all that - change can be tough. I felt that a bit, but once I recognized what it was, I realized I was lucky that when I jumped off the corporate hamster wheel I’d pushed as high as my ego desired.
Be like Jack. Grow your head fat and be the Pumpkin King. Relish every fork in the road and check in with your ego to make sure you’re keeping up with it but also not getting too far ahead of it.
What’s your next fork in the road? I bet it’ll take you someplace you haven’t been before.
best, Andrew
Enjoyable read, Andrew! I need to think about the ego once in a while, for sure. 👍